UC-NRLF 


B   3 


GIFT  OF 


AQRiC. 
IIBRARY 


DEC    9    1914 


HOLSTEINS  AS 
BEEF  CATTLE 


UNIVERSITY 


ORM1&   —  "x 


BY   HAROLD   McAi.isTER 

rt 
CHINO,  CALIFORNIA 


«f  ,# 


Holsteins  as  Beef  Cattle 

(By  HAROLD  MCALISTER,  Chino,  Cal.) 

THERE  is  a  wide  and  ever  increasing  demand  among  the  farmers 
in  America  for  a  good  profitable  dual  purpose  breed  of  cattle. 
The  price  of  feed  has  become  so  high  that  the  farmer  can  no  longer 
afford  to  keep  a  cow  that  gives  but  enough  milk  to  raise  its  calf  for 
beef  purposes,  for  in  that  case  the  calf  has  to  show  a  profit,  not  only 
above  the  cost  of  its  own  keep  but  above  the  cost  of  its  dam's  keep 
also.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  instead  of  being  a  heavy  expense,  a 
cow  can  produce  enough  milk  to  properly  raise  its  calf  and  to  show 
a  substantial  profit  for  butterfat  besides,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
profits  from  beef  production  can  be  very  greatly  increased. 

Practical  experience  and  demonstrations  by  many  different 
State  Experiment  Stations  have  proven  two  facts :  first,  that  on  the 
arable  farm  the  dual  purpose  cow  is  more  profitable  than  the 
specialized  beef  type;  and,  second,  that  the  Holstein  is  the  most 
profitable  dual  purpose  cow. 

The  first  fact  is  proven  by  the  tests  conducted  by  the  Michigan 
Experiment  Station,  in  which  it  was  shown  that  the  dual  purpose 
steer  averaged  $41.27  more  net  profit  per  head  than  the  beef  type 
of  steer.  In  Bulletin  No.  261  it  is  stated  that  the  dual  purpose  or 
"skim  milk  fed  lot  of  baby  beeves  showed  as  good  a  condition  of 
flesh  and  quality  as  the  suckled  lots  and  were  nearly  equal  in 
weight,"  and  that  "baby  beef  production  by  the  skim  milk  method 
is  much  cheaper  and  gives  better  results  than  by  suckling  methods." 

The  Iowa  Experiment  Station  states  in  Bulletin  No.  48,  after 
extended  experiments,  that  "a  system  whereby  dairying  and  meat 
making  may  be  combined  is  most  promising  in  its  profits.  It  is 
not  only  possible  to  combine  these  qualities  to  a  profitable  degree, 
but  also  to  perpetuate  them,  if  the  herd  is  bred  especially  for  them. 
The  feeding  of  range  steers,  at  present  prices,  does  not  permit  of 
securing  much  profit,  in  comparison  with  the  returns  that  may  be 
secured  from  the  products  of  a  herd  bred  for  the  special  purpose  of 
meeting  conditions  of  a  combination  of  dairying  and  beef  making. 
Not  only  do  steers  from  cows  bred  with  this  combination  in  view 
yield  as  much  profit  as  those  from  the  range,  but  returns  from  the 
cows,  when  used  for  dairy  purposes,  make  the  combination  much 
more  remunerative." 

As  it  has  been  proven  by  actual  tests  that  it  costs  $32.32  a  year 
to  keep  a  beef  cow  solely  to  have  a  calf,  while  a  Holstein  cow  will 
earn  $73.33  net  profit  in  the  same  length  of  time,  a  beef  steer  has  to 
start  out  in  life  with  a  handicap  of  over  $105  against  him,  which  the 
Holstein  steer  has  to  its  credit  at  birth. 

In  the  past  the  dual  purpose  question  has  been  discussed  from 
the  standpoint  of  whether  the  Shorthorn  or  other  beef  breeds 


295828 


are  profitable  for  milk  production,  with  a  result,  generally,  to  the 
discredit  of  the  dual  purpose  type,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  fact 
has  been  apparently  overlooked  that  the  Holstein  is  a  most  profit- 
able breed  for  beef. 

According  to  the  results  of  the  tests  reported  in  the  Michigan 
Experiment  Station  Bulletin  No.  257,  the  Holsteins  make  much 
larger  daily  gains  and  at  a  less  cost  per  pound  than  any  of  the 
leading  beef  breeds.  In  the  first  test,  seven  Holstein  calves 
averaged  714  Ibs.  apiece  at  one  year  of  age,  at  a  cost  of  $3.76  per 
cwt.,  and  two  Shorthorn  calves  averaged  571  Ibs.  at  a  cost  of  $4.82 
per  cwt.  In  the  second  test,  six  Holstein  calves  averaged  773 
Ibs.  at  a  cost  of  $3.97  per  cwt.,  and  six  Shorthorns  averaged  706.1 
Ibs.  at  a  cost  of  $5.16  per  cwt.  Another  group  of  ten  Shorthorns 
averaged  643  Ibs.  at  a  cost  of  $4.32  per  cwt.,  a  group  of  ten  Angus 
averaged  682  Ibs.  at  a  cost  of  $4.97  per  cwt.,  and  a  group  of  ten 
Herefords  averaged  629  Ibs.  at  a  cost  of  $4.20  per  cwt. 

The  Iowa  Experiment  Station  reports,  in  Bulletin  No.  81,  a  test 
with  the  following  results : 

Hereford  Angus  Holstein  Jersey 

Weight  at  beginning,                                     683  685            526  622 

Average  gain  per  steer,                                 644  .  568            677  518 

Amount  of  Grain  per  Ib.  gain,                     8.76  9.18           8.21  9.24 

Amount  of  Roughage  per  Ib.  gain,             3.71  4.13           3.59  4.35 

Average  cost  per  Ib.  gain,  $.076  $.0802  $.0712  $.0812 

Per  cent  of  dressed  weight ,  60.8  62.8           58.9  55.4 

Per  cent  of  Loin,                                             17.59  17.56         17.59  16.58 

Tallow,  Ibs.,  88.  64.5           56.2  113.2 

The  Holstein  thus  made  a  larger  average  gain  per  steer  and  at  a 
less  cost  per  pound  of  either  roughage  or  grain  than  any  of  the 
other  breeds.  The  percentage  of  dressed  weight  was  3j^  per  cent 
above  that  of  the  Jersey  and  less  than  3  per  cent  below  the  average 
of  the  two  beef  breeds,  but  the  Holstein  ranked  ahead  in  respect 
to  the  percentage  of  loin,  the  highest  priced  beef  cut.  The 
Holstein  also  produced  the  smallest  percentage  of  tallow,  showing 
that  the  breed  does  not  carry  an  excess  of  cheap  fat,  which  is 
characteristic  of  scrub  steers.  The  Holstein  steers  made  an 
average  of  $14.87  net  profit  to  the  wholesaler,  while  the  Angus 
averaged  but  $9.25  and  the  Hereford  but  $5.13  net  profit.  This 
wonderful  showing  by  the  Holstein  steers  was  made  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  the  steers  chosen  were  not  fair  representatives  of  that 
breed  and  that  they  were  fed  for  too  long  a  period,  in  the  case  of 
dairy  steers. 

The  Station  states  that  "Kidney  fat  is  a  cheap  product  and, 
while  it  counts  in  dressing  per  cent,  it  only  serves  to  reduce  the 
value  of  the  carcass,  where  it  is  present  in  excess.  Reference  to 
the  tables  show  that  No.  3,  a  Jersey,  possessed  21  Ibs.  of  this  cheap 
product,  while  No.  7,  an  Angus,  had  but  11.5.  Ibs.,  despite  his 
greater  weight.  This  confirms  the  contention  often  made  that 
steers  of  dairy  type  carry  an  unnecessary  amount  of  waste  fat." 


Glancing  over  the  figures,  however,  we  find  that  the  Holstein  steers 
possessed  only  15  Ibs.,  the  Angus  23.5  Ibs.,  the  Hereford  28.5  Ibs., 
and  the  Jersey  37.5  Ibs.  of  this  product,  showing  that  this  sweeping 
conclusion  as  to  steers  of  dairy  type  is  absolutely  fallacious  in  the 
instance  of  the  Holstein  steers. 

The  Ohio  State  Experiment  Station,  in  Bulletin  No.  60,  reports 
a  test  in  which  the  Holsteins  made  larger  gains  and  at  a  less  cost 
per  pound  than  the  Shorthorns : 

Oain  in  120  days  Cost  per  Ib.  gain 

5  Holsteins  255  $7.67 

23  Shorthorns  241  7.94 

The  Nebraska  Experiment  Station  has  probably  made  the  most 
exhaustive  and  conclusive  beef  tests  that  have  ever  been  made. 
Forty-eight  calves  representing  the  different  breeds  were  put 
through  two  extended  tests.  In  the  first  test,  the  Holsteins 
averaged  $3.68  profit  per  head,  the  Shorthorns,  $2.07,  the  Here- 
fords,  $1.61,  the  Angus,  $1.34,  the  Guernseys,  21c,  the  Jerseys, 
63c,  and  the  Red  Polls,  21c.  In  the  second  test,  the  Holsteins 
averaged  $4.14  profit  per  head,  the  Shorthorns,  $3.28,  the  Angus, 
80c,  and  the  Guernseys,  76c;  the  Red  Polls  lost  97c,  and  the 
Jerseys  lost  $2.14.  The  Holstein  Steer  No.  19  made  $16.61  net 
profit,  or  more  than  any  other  steer  in  these  two  tests.  The 
heaviest  Holstein  weighed  1,082  Ibs.  at  the  end  of  the  test,  the 
heaviest  Hereford,  1,040  Ibs.,  the  heaviest  Shorthorn,  1,032  Ibs., 
the  heaviest  Angus,  925  Ibs.,  the  heaviest  Guernsey,  950  Ibs.,  the 
heaviest  Red  Poll,  920  Ibs.,  and  the  heaviest  Jersey,  920  Ibs.  The 
following  is  the  average  of  both  tests : 

Av.  daily  gain  Cost  per  100  Ibs.  gain  Profit  per  steer 
5  Holsteins                         1.86  Ibs.  $6.61  $7.82 

24  Shorthorns  1.58  Ibs.  7.59  3.28 
2  Angus                               1.59  Ibs.                          7.72  2.14 
8  Herefords                        1.56  Ibs.                         8.06                             2.09 

2  Guernseys  1.59  Ibs.  7.71  .97 
4  Red  Polls                        1.48  Ibs.                         7.86                   Loss     .76 

3  Jerseys  1.56  Ibs.  9.83  1.51 

The  Holsteins  thus  made  larger  daily  gains  at  a  far  less  cost  per 
100  Ibs.  gain,  and  averaged  over  twice  as  much  net  profit  per  steer 
as  any  other  breed. 

In  an  additional  six  weeks'  test,  the  Holsteins'  total  net  profit 
amounted  to  $13.82  per  head,  the  Herefords'  to  $11.92,  and  the 
Shorthorns'  to  $11.69.  The  quality  of  the  Holstein  beef  at  the 
end  of  the  second  test  proved  to  be  practically  as  good  as  that  of 
the  beef  breeds,  averaging  $5.75  per  cwt.,  while  the  Shorthorns 
averaged  $5.98  and  the  Herefords,  $6.12.  The  difference  in  the 
quality  of  the  meat  of  the  two  types  is  so  slight  that  the  Holstein 
faculty  of  making  gains  at  a  so  much  less  cost  per  pound  makes  it 
the  most  profitable  breed  for  beef. 

[5] 


The  Nebraska  Station  states,  in  Bulletin  No.  132,  that  the 
Holstein  "gains  are  very  satisfactory  and  these  steers  can  be  fed 
with  profit,  especially  when  crossed  with  one  of  the  beef  breeds. 
The  principal  objection  to  the  Holsteins  for  production  of  beef  is 
the  fact  that  they  are  very  slow  to  fatten  and  must  be  kept  in  the 
feed  lot  for  a  longer  time  than  is  ordinarily  needed  by  beef  breeds." 
This,  however,  could  not  be  a  very  serious  objection  to  Holsteins 
for  beef,  for  according  to  Nebraska's  own  experiments,  only  60  per 
cent  of  the  Holsteins  had  to  be  kept  over  an  extra  six  weeks  in  order 
to  have  them  sufficiently  fat  for  market,  while  66f  per  cent  of 
the  total  lot  had  to  be  kept  over. 

In  another  experiment  by  the  Nebraska  Station  the  Holsteins 
again  proved  their  superiority : 

Av.  daily  gain  Cost  per  cwt. 
3  Holsteins                                          2.05  Ibs.  $4.22 

2  Herefords  1.86  Ibs.  4.99 
14  Shorthorns                                        1.92  Ibs.                                     5.62 

1  Galloway  2.41  Ibs.  5.67 

1  Ayrshire  2.28  Ibs.  6.06 

1  Dutch  Belted  1.72  Ibs.  6.29 

3  Angus  1.22  Ibs.  7.46 
1  Jersey  1.64  Ibs.  7.91 

The  Iowa  Station  reports,  in  Bulletin  No.  14,  the  following 
results  of  a  test  between  Holstein  and  Shorthorn  calves : 

Av.  daily  gain  Cost  per  Ib.  gain 

Holstein  2.22  Ibs.  $.057 

Shorthorn  1.86  Ibs.  .070 

At  the  Michigan  Experiment  Station  the  Holstein  breed  made 
gains,  for  a  year,  at  a  less  cost  per  pound  than  any  other  breed 
under  similar  conditions,  as  here  shown : 

Av.  wt.  at  1  yr.  Av.  daily  gain  Cost  per  Ib.  gain 

Holstein                                 876  Ibs.  2.40  Ibs.                      $.014 

Shorthorn                              777  Ibs.  2.13  Ibs.                         .016 

Galloway                               783  Ibs.  2.14  Ibs.                         .019 

Jersey                                     569  Ibs.  1.55  Ibs.                         .023 

Devon                                    521  Ibs.  1.43  Ibs.                         .025 

At  the  Ontario  Experiment  Station,  the  Holstein  gained  up  to 
two  years  1.79  Ibs.  daily,  the  Devon,  1.78  Ibs.,  the  Hereford,  1.71 
Ibs.,  and  the  Aberdeen  Poll,  1.55  Ibs. 

In  the  Iowa  Experiment  Bulletin  No.  20,  it  is  reported  that  three 
Holstein  calves  gained  691  Ibs.  apiece  in  a  test,  the  highest 
gain  being  90t  Ibs.,  while  three  Shorthorn  calves  gained  63^ 
Ibs.  in  the  same  length  of  time,  the  highest  gain  being  67s  Ibs. 

At  the  American  Fat  Show  in  1886,  the  Holsteins  averaged 
2,127  Ibs.  weight,  at  an  average  gain  of  1.68  Ibs.  daily,  the  Short- 
horns averaged  1,934  Ibs.,  at  a  gain  of  1.54  Ibs.  daily,  and  the 


Herefords  averaged  1,958  Ibs.  weight,  at  a  gain  of  1.52  Ibs.  daily. 
The  Holstein  was  also  the  only  breed  to  have  the  hind  quarters 
heavier  than  the  front,  as  shown  by  the  following  figures  : 

Hereford  Hind  quarters  lighter  than  the  front  by  52  Ibs.  or  —  10     % 

Shorthorn  Hind  quarters  lighter  than  the  front  by  71  Ibs.  or  —  11^% 

Angus  Hind  quarters  lighter  than  the  front  by  70  Ibs.  or—  11      % 

Holstein  Hind  quarters  heavier  than  the  front  by    9  Ibs.  or  + 


In  the  two-year-old  class  at  the  American  Fat  Show  in  1885,  the 
Holstein  averaged  1,920  Ibs.,  the  Shorthorn,  1,756  Ibs.,  and  the 
Hereford,  1,779  Ibs.  The  Holstein  also  had  a  larger  percentage 
of  weight  in  the  hind  quarters  than  any  of  the  beef  breeds.  At 
the  Fat  Show  in  1888,  again  the  Holstein  was  the  only  breed  to 
have  its  hind  quarters  heavier  than  the  front.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  Holstein  has  a  higher  percentage  of  weight  in  the  hind 
quarters  than  any  other  breed,  a  very  important  fact,  as  the 
highest  priced  cuts  are  in  the  hind  quarters. 

That  the  ideal  beef  and  milk  form  may  be  found  in  the  highest 
degree  in  the  same  breed  is  shown  by  the  numerous  prizes  won  by 
Holsteins  at  the  different  fat  shows.  At  the  New  York  State 
Fairs  of  1889  and  1890,  a  Holstein  cow  won  first  prize  as  the  best 
fat  cow  of  any  age  or  breed.  Her  live  weight  was  1,790  Ibs.,  and 
her  percentage  of  dressed  weight  when  thoroughly  cooled  was 
66.8  per  cent  or  1,196  Ibs.,  a  percentage  very  seldom  equaled  by 
individuals  of  the  beef  breeds. 

In  1896,  against  very  strong  competition  from  the  leading  beef 
breeds,  a  Holstein  cow  weighing  almost  2,000  Ibs.  won  first  prize 
as  the  best  beef  cow  of  any  breed  at  the  Minnesota  State  Fair. 

Summarizing  the  results  of  these  and  other  tests  the  result  con- 
clusively proves  that,  contrary  to  the  general  belief,  large  and 
profitable  beef  and  milk  production  are  correlated  to  an  astonishing 
degree.  In  the  Holstein  breed,  as  a  rule,  the  greater  the  milk 
producing  qualities,  the  more  perfect  the  work  of  assimilation  and 
digestion,  the  larger  and  the  more  economical  the  gain  of  body 
weight  when  dry,  the  stronger  the  constitution,  and  the  more 
regular  the  breeding,  all  of  which  qualities  also  tend  to  make  beef 
production  more  profitable.  A  Holstein  steer  inherits  from  its 
dam  a  capacity  for  assimilating  a  quantity  of  feed  that  would  make 
the  average  beef  steer  sweat  merely  to  look  at.  According  to  the 
Wisconsin  Dairy  Competition,  an  average  Holstein  cow  will  con- 
sume enough  feed  above  her  own  maintenance  to  produce  1,758.1 
Ibs.  of  milk  solids  in  a  year,  or  over  three  times  as  much  as  an 
average  beef  steer  willfgain  in  body  weight,  in  the  same  length  of 
time. 

While  a  Holstein  steer  is  without  doubt  the  most  economical 
producer  of  dressed  beef,  yet  it  is  true  that  the  profitableness 
of  that  breed  for  beef  is  subject  to  some  limitations.  Owing  to 
their  relatively  heavy  body,  their  limbs  are  too  light  to  make  them 
as  well  fitted  for  the  range  as  some  other  breeds.  The  fact  is 

m 


that,  while  up  to  about  18  or  20  months  of  age  a  Holstein  steer 
will  have  approximately  the  same  conformation  and  quality  as  a 
beef  steer,  yet  after  that  age  he  begins  to  partake  more  of  the  form 
of  a  dairy  steer  and  also  to  lose  some  of  his  former  smoothness,  so 
that  these  steers  are  not  relatively  as  profitable  when  sold  as  two- 
or  three-year-olds  as  when  fattened  up  to  sell  as  baby  beef. 

Holstein  beef  possesses  the  desired  pale  red  color  and  is  very 
well  marbled,  although  it  does  not  generally  have  so  much  fat  as  is 
exhibited  by  a  beef  steer.  According  to  such  authorities  as  Prof. 
I.  P.  Roberts  and  others  who  have  tested  the  qualities  of  both 
meats,  Holstein  beef  has  a  superior  flavor  to  that  of  the  Shorthorn. 

One  of  the  most  important  if  not  the  chief  factor  in  cattle 
raising  is  that  of  prolificacy.  In  this  respect  the  Holstein  cow  is 
much  superior  to  any  of  the  beef  breeds,  as  she  is  easier  to  get  into 
calf,  due  to  her  thinner  condition,  caused  by  her  heavy  milking 
qualities,  and  to  the  fact  that  the  breeding  qualities  of  the  Holstein 
have  not  been  impaired,  as  the  breed  has  not  been  so  highly  inbred, 
or  subjected  to  excessive  show-ring  fitting  and  other  artificial  con- 
ditions, as  have  the  beef  breeds. 

Summarizing  all  of  the  results  therefore,  the  fact  is  clearly 
proven  that  the  dual  purpose  breed  is  a  most  lucrative  type,  and 
that  the  theory  that  beef  and  milk  production  cannot  be  profitably 
combined  in  the  same  breed  is  most  erroneous  and  unreliable. 


Holstein-Friesian  Assh  o  America 
3i-attxteboro, 


OCTOBER,  1914 


[8 


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